LittleMac

Don't forget about Cannonball Alley in Stage 3. I groaned when they stated "that they made it easier on Stage 3" by increasing the size of the cannonballs. That actually turned into a disadvantage for at least one of the Japanese contestants. They got on the bigger second ball and got stuck. A bigger circumstance does not seem easier to move around in that case. Arnold did it right by bypassing that ball and going first-third-doorknob. Watching the special was fun, but I got the feeling that Stage 2 was harder than Stage 3 for them. Arnold stated that they all trained for Stage 3 and it showed. Propeller Spin does nothing for the difficulty of the stage. I would prefer seeing the Balancing Poles (which Kacy finished in her qualifying run) instead.

I actually hope that they leave Stage 3 alone. It's a very hard, but fair challenge. I think that it's also gender-neutral in that Kacy and Meagan has a decent shot of finishing it (I would have bet good money that Stage 2 couldn't be finished by them if you gave them 5 tries at it within that time limit). There isn't anything there that I don't think they can do (Maybe the last obstacle. MAYBE). If you want the shot at Stage 4, it needs a hard, tough stage like this. Usually, they don't touch Stage 2 at all in the following year to give the contestants a chance to practice it and get used to it. If you are going to keep the Rope Ladder, keep them the same type. 3 sliding ropes would work well, or bring back the rolling log. It's the prep for the Double Salmon Ladder, which is/was the star of the stage (Can you make a descending Salmon Ladder)? It shouldn't be the knockout blow like it was (like Cannonball Alley).

*sigh* In some ways, the Rope Ladder killed the show. It really should have moved to Stage 3 and move the cannonballs over to Stage 2. It's not an obstacle that you can do quickly without any studying. You need to know the rope placements and which ones move quickly/slide/plunge. Lousy for a timed stage, but perfect for a untimed stage. It seemed that it destroyed any momentum that the show had and I'm not surprised if the show lost viewers after the first hour. I'm also having issues with the Butterfly Leap and no trampoline. You need a longer run up for that obstacle. That's going to be murder for the short contestants. Doing that, then a rope climb to the Rope swing. That's a KO punch right there. Nice job by the Weatherman. Great run in the second stage and nice try in the third stage. Great effort, though, maybe the best part is his admission that he didn't want to be seen as a fluke. Rare honesty and great motivation. Curious to see who they pick for Team USA. You figure that Hall and Weatherman are locks. The other three should be from the other Stage 2 qualifiers (Kasmir, Woods, Arnold would be my picks), though would they dare pick Kacy, Brent or Flip?

Ah. Previously.tv. TWOP with a better look. Nice to be back. It's very smart strategy to me. Arnold was probably the last or second-last person to do Stage 1 (Usually, the highest person from last year gets the prime spot in the National Final). As Taeolas stated, they run Stage 2 in reverse order and rarely change those obstacles (Brian probably wandered over to that stage to confirm it). So, it's best to run Stage 2 immediately, while your muscles are still loose from Stage 1 and get maximum rest for Stage 3. Stage 2 isn't that tricky. Just the double salmon ladder and the rope cylinder, really. Stage 3 is the stage that will determine the money for him.